By 1900, such a visit had assumed greater importance. By this date, New Zealand was involved in the war in South Africa and supporters of a royal visit believed that it would encourage and reward New Zealand’s loyalty to the British Empire and its campaign against the Boers.

Queen Victoria agreed to her grandson, the Duke of Cornwall and York, making a tour of the colony, although she did not live to see the Duke and his wife embark on this trip.

The royal couple, who would later reign as George V and Queen Mary, arrived in New Zealand five months after the death of Victoria. They stopped in the four main centres: Auckland, Wellington, Chrischurch, and Dunedin. They also went to a hui in Rotorua where a ‘Grand Carnival of the Tribes’ took place. The invitation above was designed for the event.

Triumphal arches punctuated the routes of the royal processions through these towns. The one featured in this image was sponsored by the Dairy Association of New Zealand and was made from butter boxes.

Royal Visit - Butter, 19.06.1901, Maker unknown, Wellington. Te Papa

Foliage, garlands and bunting also lined the streets. Electric lights were arranged on buildings to spell out patriotic messages. In Wellington, 2,400 adorned the Post Office. This was described as ‘the greatest effort of electric illuminations ever achieved in the colony’.

School children, many of whom created ‘living flags’ in the form of Union Jacks, received special tokens of the visit. The Duke reviewed soldiers and presented medals to veterans from the South African War. The invitation below was for a review held in Potter’s Park in Auckland.

3 Responses

I have a bound Women’s Weekly set of this Royal Tour June 1901. It is an amazing piece of history for both Maori and Pakeha. The advertisements are amazing and the reporting from the courts is yet another story. I guess I am very privileged to have this wealth of history and knowledge.